Dae Bak High School
by Afflatus
Summary: A girl accidentally steps on a stranger's shoe and whom she never expects to meet again. But finds out the stranger is more than just a 'stranger! including fictional characters,and kpop stars, SHINEE, Lee joon,G-D, TOP.
1. The Fateful Encounter

The fateful encounter

_Ahh, I can't wait to get home and sleep, _Boeun comments to herself as she alights the train. With slow and off-paced steps, "Ah.", she stepped on the back of a Nike shoe. Staring at the person's feet only to realize what she had done seconds ago, her eyes grew wider and drew her gaze from the person's feet to calves, thighs, waist, shoulder, neck, head, chin, mouth, nose…and eyes.

"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry!", she said after having eye contact with the stranger. The stranger was a tall, mature-looking boy, no older than the age of 18. From the time his shoe had been stepped on, he froze in his steps and likewise, his eyes grew wider realizing what had just happened. He turned his head back to look at his feet reluctantly and slowly, and saw the noticeably dark patch of dust on his shoe. He gasped and took his time looking at the culprit from her shoes to her head.

"My shoe!", he said full of exasperation.

"I am so sorry!", she apologized profusely, not daring to look at the stranger's eyes. "I-I can clean it for you."

"It's…alright.", the boy replied through his teeth, still from shock. Boeun continued to fix her eyes on the tiled floor and made her way out of the station. _Oh my gosh, that was so embarrassing. How could I have stepped on his shoe? Agh, you're such an idiot! _, she reprimanded herself making her way to the bus interchange.

_Sigh. This really isn't my day. From walking into a billboard and then stepping on a pair of expensive shoes! What could get worse?_ Boeun began to space out, till the bus arrived. She boarded the bus and sat on a two-seater at the back, closest to the window. As more and more passengers flowed into the bus, gradually all the seats got taken up one by one, until someone occupied the seat beside Boeun.

She woke up from a reverie, and caught a glimpse of the person sitting beside her and looked out the window again. _Wait, it can't be._ Boeun shifted her head abruptly to her left once again, to confirm who was sitting beside her. Her eyes were full of shock. At the same time, the occupier was staring at her, speechless and wide-eyed. The two held up their index finger at each other and managed to cough out something, "Ah-!"

"It's you again!"


	2. The Luckiest Girl On Earth

The Luckiest Girl On Earth

_Shit. Shit. Shit. This has got to be the WORST day of my life._

It was the boy whose shoe Boeun had stepped on - the 'victim' - pointing at her, with his mouth shaped into and 'O'. Boeun froze where she was, and broke out in cold sweat. _Shit. He's even pointing at me. Now how am I going to run? I'm even sitting on the inside seat. Why did I have to sit here? WHY?_, thoughts were racing through her mind as her heart palpitated furiously.

"It's you, again!", the 'victim' still pointing at Boeun. Every muscle in her body tensed up. Boeun sat unable to say a word, her mind and body paralyzed from fear. _Whoa, it's that girl again! …Uh, she seems a little stiff…_, thought he, waiting for her reply, which for sure, never came. The unresponsiveness grew into silence, which turned into awkwardness.

"Whoa, what fate.", said the boy resolved to break the stunned silence between them, growing into a warm, friendly smile, which had thawed the frozen girl. "Uh, sorry about my huge reaction just now. It's just that I really-",

"Stop pointing at me. Stop pointing at me.", Boeun chanted softly under her breath.

"Huh, what?"

"I said, it's rude to point at people", she replied, after regaining 'consciousness' and composure.

"Oh. Sorry, about that.", he pulled his finger away. "It's just such a coincidence that I got to meet you again, just minutes later after you stepped on my shoe. My precious shoe…"

"I told you I'm sorry, and you already refused my offer to clean it! So stop whining!", Boeun pouted apologetically.

"Okay, okay. Chill, It's just that I really love all my shoes and I really take very, very good care of them…"

_Oh gosh, what a metro sexual. Shoe fetish, huh? Hmm, well, it's alright. Your looks are above average, and good-looking shoes do look good on you. You're forgiven._, Boeun thought as she observed him. "Alright, I get your point. Sorry about hurting your 'babies', okay?"

"It's alright, you're forgiven", he grinned, which broke out into a smile. _Really, really nice teeth._, she thought again.

"Oh, it's my stop already, it was nice talking to you", said Boeun as she stood up getting to make her way out of the bus.

"Oh, okay. You too.", he said as he made way for her to get out of the seat. "Bye."

_Eurgh, talk about awkward and an awkward conversation. I hope this is the last I see of him. How 'lucky' to bump into him right after stepping on his shoe. Not to mention, he takes the same bus as me to get home. Groans. Thank God it makes no difference in walking distance if I stop one bus-stop earlier from my usual bus-stop. But if I had stayed any longer, I think I would have died due to suffocation of overwhelming awkwardness and embarrassment._

A/N: HELLO! :D for your information, this story has two titles. Weird, I know. But blame it on my indecisiveness. And if you see any name 'Rachel' it's meant to be 'Boeun' cause I decided to change the name( i haven't made changes to my original document though) . Comments are greatly appreciated and loved. :) and NO, this is not a remake of anything or parody of some sort. Thank youu! :D


	3. Let's Start Over A New Beginning

Let's start over

_Beep. Beep. Beep!_, Boeun closed-eyed clumsily whacks her bedside table, trying to turn off the alarm clock. _Ughh, so annoying…so tired…nooo, I don't wanna go to school today!, _Boeun screams out inside her head, cringing her face into a ball as she curls back into her bed. Just as she does so, her mother bursts the door open.

"Boeun! You're late! Stop drooling all over your pillow and get out of bed and go to school!"

"Eurgh…I don't drool!", Boeun moans as she turns over to look at her clock. "OMG I'm THIS late?" she looked on wide-eyed at the screen and jerked up in a sitting position. She rubbed her eyes, with the alarm clock in her other hand resting on her lap, and checked the time again. She jumped out of bed and ran into the toilet.

_Gosh, why on earth did I stay till 2 in the morning watching dramas?_, reproaching herself. _Aw, man. And even if I DID stay up late watching dramas, why did I have to cry? Just, why?_, just as she looked at herself in the mirror brushing her teeth. _My eyes are swollen from crying…will it give a bad impression on my new classmates? Whatever it is, I can't believe I'm actually starting off my first day of high school like this._

"Whoa, I'm so lucky that I made it through the school gates before they closed!", Boeun panted as she ran though the school gates before they closed in the nick of time. "Now that I take a good look at it, Dae Bak High School is really big…hmm, so where's the school hall?" Boeun skims through the school booklet, and finds the school map.

_Ohh, so I just have to walk straight, turn left, and walk straight…and turn right and walk straight until..._, _Wait, why am I at the back of the school now? Okay never mind, I'll back track. So I'll turn right, walk straight, turn right, walk straight…turn left, walk straight and…shit. The sports equipment shed? Maybe, I'll go ask some other student…ah maybe that girl at the basketball court._

"Excuse me, can you tell me where the hall is?", Boeun asks Karin as she is picking up her bottle.

"The hall? You see the building right at the other end of the school field right? So you just walk straight across this field and go to the second floor of the building when you reach the end."

"Oh, thank you! Wow, the map of the school I was given is totally useless."

"Map?", Karin says looking over at Boeun's map. "Uh, you're holding it wrong. It's supposed to be turned about 90 degrees from where you are."

"What? Really?", Boeun says as she maneuvers the map here and there. "hmm, it looks all the same to me from any angle of the map. I don't get it."

_Man, this is girl's sense of navigation is an epic fail…_, amusedly thinks Karin. "Pfft. Well, then. You shouldn't trust maps anymore. Here, give me the map, I'll throw it away for you because it's very unreliable."

"Uh, okay. Thanks!", Boeun hesitates passing the map to Karin. "Okay, thanks for your help. Oh, and shouldn't you be in the hall by now?"

"Only first and second years go to the hall on the first day of school."

"Oh…", Boeun nods in understanding. "Wait, so you're a third year?", she exclaims disbelievingly after Karin's statement has already registered into her head.

Karin pauses, her face expressionless but serious. She advances closer to Boeun and despite the two of them being about the same height, it practically looked as though she was towering over her. Boeun immediately regrets what she said and covers her mouth with her hand. Karin continued doing so, until her face was right smack in Boeun's face. Eventually, Boeun forgot how to breathe.

"Why, what's wrong with being a third year when I am one?", Karin glares into Boeun's eyes. Boeun feeling her glare piercing right through her, cowered back and squinted her eyes.

"I look that young right?", Karin suddenly breaks out into a wide smile, causing Boeun to jerk in surprise. "Hehe. Don't worry about it, I don't beat up people." Boeun managed to breathe again after hearing that, _phew_.

" …especially those who look down on me for looking like a first year…" Karin reverted to her serious face and stared at Boeun again, like she meant it. Seeing Boeun's face turn paler than before, Karin added, "HAHA. Joking. I was just kidding. You're so cute, falling for my trick so easily. Hmm, I must be that great an actress. Hehe!"

"Haha...yeah… well, I gotta go", Boeun nervously laughs. "Bye!", she quickly says and turns around and runs across the field.

_Funny kid, _Karin laughs to herself and resumes playing basketball with her friends.

A/N: I just realised that I can't use two titles. Okay, whatever. HAHA, so i'll stick to DaeBakHighSchool. By the way, it's original title was ILYSM. Comments and constructive criticism are greatly appreciated and loved:) Thank You!


	4. Dae Bak High School, The 'Right' School

Dae Bak High School, The 'Right' School

_Oh no, I'm late…_, she fusses in her head. _Clack crk tchik._ Everyone in the hall turns around to look at Boeun as she opens the hall door. She paused in her stance as everyone continued staring for a while and then turning back to the front to listen to the principal.

"Hem…and so, we start off the new year by welcoming our new first years. Second years please take care of your juniors.", the principal continues as Boeun makes her way down the aisle and takes a seat. Boeun sits straight and starts fidgeting and looks to her left and right. She tilts her body to the left and whispers to a girl wearing a pink hair-band with a ridiculously large bow at the side, "Hi, I'm Boeun. Nice to meet you."

"Shh!", the girl does not even look at Boeun but continues staring at the stage as if enamored by it. "The student council president is giving his message soon."

"…And now we will have our student council president give his speech.", says the principal and makes his way off the stage.

_What's so great about the student council president that she refuses to look at me or even answer me? Pfft.,_ thinks Boeun as she shifts her gaze from the girl to the student council president. _Bah! He's nothing great. I can barely even see his face from here._, Boeun continues and squinting her eyes to get a better look.

"Thank you Ms Lee. A good morning to all teachers, students and friends. I am Lee Changsun, year two of class 5.", addresses the student council president after stepping onto the pedestal. "I would like to welcome all the first years on behalf of the whole school. It's a pleasure to have you here and I ensure you that you have chosen the right school, Dae Bak High School. …"

Halfway through the message, Boeun's eyes began to droop, and her head nodding back and forth. _Tak!_ Boeun's head hit the edge of the chair's back support, waking her up and jerked up out of her slumped position. Boeun yawns, only to be shushed by the girls around her including the girl she just spoke to.

"Okay, you are now dismissed to go back to your respective classrooms. Your homeroom teacher will be there to take your attendance.", announces the discipline mistress, Ms Kim. The students all stood up and headed out of the hall, chattering noisily.

Boeun followed the rest of the crowd to the classroom block and walked into a classroom. After sitting down and putting her bag on her table, she rests her head on her bag. The teacher walks in and begins taking attendance.

"Lee Hyunwoo?"

"Here."

"Kim Sarang?"

"Yes."

"…is there anybody's name whom I haven't called out yet?", the teacher asks the class.

"Me.", Boeun raises her hand.

"What's your name?"

"Chae Boeun."

"Hmm…", the teacher looks through the class register again. "Your name is not in the class list, are you sure you're in the correct class?"

"HUH? Isn't this class 1/5?", exclaims Boeun. Soon, the class was filled with giggles.

"No, this is 1/1.", the teacher shaking his head. "What have you been doing, missing your own classroom by four classrooms? And didn't you even check the class name before coming in?"

"Uh, no…I followed that student in front of me.", Boeun points to a girl sitting at the other end of the class. The class burst out into laughter, and the teacher sighed and shook his head.

"Well, please go to your correct class now and get your teacher to mark your attendance.", said the teacher. "There are even kids like that these days…", the teacher continues mumbling to himself and resumes with the class' administrative matters.

"Sorry…", Boeun stands up and bows to the teacher and walks out of the class, biting her lower lip. _Gawd that was so embarrassing…okay. Now I've got to get to 1/5…ah, I'm here! Wait, check the class name. Yup! It's 1/5._, thinks Boeun. She knocks on the door, enters and greets the teacher.

"Ah, yes. The missing student, you're late.", the teacher says looking at Boeun. "Chae Boeun?"

"Yes. Sorry I'm late. I was in the wrong class.", Boeun replied and the teacher probed no further. Boeun was thankful for that.

"Hmm…", the teacher gave her a weird look but brushed it off and continued, "Okay, I'm Mr Shin, your homeroom teacher. Take a seat."

Boeun settled down in a seat, second last row from the back and heaved a sigh. She stares into space for a few seconds and then turns to her right and the behind her. The person looked up from what he was doing. He tilted his head, glared and gave her a threatening 'what?' look. Boeun took shook her head furiously and turned to the front again. Realizing she had not looked at who was sitting on her left, she turned to catch a glimpse.

"Ah, hello! I was sitting beside you in the hall just now. To think I'm going to sit beside you from now on as well." It was the girl wearing the hair-band with a ridiculously large bow stuck on.

"Ah…the noisy girl.", she mumbled, looking at Boeun.

"Pardon?"

"Oh, I'm Mabel, Kim Mabel. Nice to meet you.", she smiled. "Sorry, but I didn't catch your name back in the hall."

"I'm Chae Boeun.", she reintroduced herself staring at the distractingly large bow on Mabel's head. "Oh yeah, what was is it about the student council president that you paid me no attention just now?"

"You don't know? He's one of the hottest guys in DBHS.", Mabel's eyes lit up as she began talking about him. "…kind, rich, good grades, great athlete… great body, too. He's what any girl in this school would die just to date him."

"You already know so much about him…and it's only our first day here-"

"I came to DBHS to follow him of course. I was his junior in middle school.", cutting off Boeun's sentence. Mabel looked dreamily into space and continued, "He's just…so hot!"

"Since you're crazy enough to even pick this high school just because he chose it, why don't you just ask him out?", Boeun asked.

"PFFT!", the boy sitting in front of Boeun trying to contain his laughter but eventually he bursts out laughing after turning back to look at Boeun. "HAHAHA! OMG, this is so funny." Boeun raises an eyebrow and looks at Mabel puzzled.

"Any girl that asks him out gets rejected. He's never dated ever since he broke up with his first love.", explains Mabel.

"Yup, it was a senior that broke up with him.", added the boy. "By the way, I'm Kim Kibum. You can call me Key for short."

"Ouhh…are relationships that devastating?"

"Gosh, where on earth did you grow up, a nunnery?-", Key said sarcastically.

"Something like that, I was in a girls' school up till now. Plus, I don't have any male siblings." Both Mabel and Key stared at Boeun, astounded by her background.

"So you've never had a boy friend before?", Mabel asked.

"Nope. Never."

"Well, you can break that world record right now. Boeun, wanna be my girlfriend?", Key asked.

"NOOOOOOOOO.", Boeun gave a straight answer.

"Why?", Key asked. "I'm so good-looking and I can even sing well." He winked at Boeun.

"Cause I don't like you.", Boeun replied. Key's jaw dropped. Seeing his reaction, Mabel laughed out really hard at how Key was rejected flat-out.

"Of course, how can she become your girlfriend, when she just met you five minutes ago.", came a deep, low voice from behind Boeun. Everyone turned to look behind to see who had said that.

"Ehhh~ Minho don't be like that.", Key pouted.

"What, I'm speaking the truth.", Minho replied curtly.

"HAHA, Minho you really haven't changed since middle school.", Mabel laughs. Key nods his head in agreement.

"You're all from the same middle school?", Boeun asked, a little taken aback. The trio nodded. "You guys were in the same class previously and are also in the same class now?" The trio nodded again. "That's TOO MUCH of a coincidence now, isn't it?" Mabel shrugged her shoulders.

"Shh. The science teacher's here.", Mabel said and turned herself to face the front, as did Key.


	5. I'm Not Too Sure

I'm Not Too Sure

_Dae Bak High School, the 'right' school…?_, Boeun thought to herself after reading a school poster hung on one of the street lamps. It screamed, "Dae Bak High School, the right school for you!"

_Well, I'm not too sure about that yet…I've only spent my first day here_, Boeun continued thinking. She was just at the school gate walking up the driveway, and told herself, "Whatever it is, I hope that today goes just as well as yesterday!"

Boeun sat down in her seat in class and looked to her left again. Mabel was sitting down texting someone. Boeun was about to greet her when she saw the hair-band with a large bow on Mabel's head, again. Except that it was of blue colour this time. She stared at it again and totally forgetting what she wanted to do.

"Boeun, morning! Hehe. My hair-band's really pretty right?", Mabel greeted Boeun.

"Morning! Uh, yeah. But, they're ridiculously HUGE. Doesn't your head feel heavy at all?", asked Boeun.

"Hey! It's an art, okay. It's called avant-garde.", Mabel said defensively.

"여러분, 좋은 아침!(GOOD MORNING EVERYONE!)", Key announced bursting through the classroom doors, with Minho trailing in after him. Key's grand entrance made everyone look at them. As they were still looking, when Minho entered, he awkwardly bowed his head.

"Ah, Key! Minho! Good, you're already here. I've got a surprise for you guys, wait till recess okay?", Mabel said.

"Okay. What is it?", asked Key.

"Why bother asking when she says it's a 'surprise' and she'll only tell you during recess?", said Minho. "It could only mean one thing…" ,as Minho shook his head. Key seemed to catch the gist of what he meant. This left Boeun a little confused and curious as to know what made the 'surprise' so unsurprising to them.

"Ahhhh! Omg, he just looked over here."

"OMG, no way!", chattering coming from the corridors of the classroom block.

"Hey, look over there, the girls from other classes are drooling all over you. Girls are pretty fast aren't they? It's only been the second day in high school and you already have girls that like you two.", said Mabel. They looked out the class window. There was a crowd of girls outside the classroom, pushing and shoving at each other to get a view of either Key or Minho. There were even some girls holding up their handphones trying to snap shots of Key and Minho.

"Why, you jealous?", said Key jokingly. After seeing Mabel's face turn blacker every second he added, "EH! But you have guys checking you out at the door, too, okay." They look at the back of the classroom door to see two guys from other classes, looking at Mabel. One of them was leaning against the wall just beside the door. When Mabel looked at them they both raised their hand and gave the 'what's up' look. Minho was rather annoyed and gave them the 'glare' and they backed off.

"Then, that totally leaves me out!", pouted Boeun.

"Uh, okay you too, you too!", said Key, pinching Boeun's cheek.

"Hmm, what weird guys, first they were looking so outgoing. And they just ran off, like they had just seen a ghost.", said Mabel, after seeing the guys' faces turn pale and ran away.

"Maybe you were the ghost they had seen.", said Minho, ready to burst out laughing. But he was rather controlled with his emotions so he just smiled for a second.

"Ha-ha. Very funny.", retorted Mabel, looking rather annoyed by his remark.

"Ah, my Boeun's so cute!", said Key, progressing from pinching her cheeks to poking them. Key was so high, even laughing and smiling to himself like an idiot. "Hehe, even way cuter than Mabok."

"Who's YOUR Boeun?", Minho and Mabel said in unison. "Mabok's gonna feel really hurt hearing you say that."

"Wha…you said the same thing at the same time.", said Boeun. "COOL! HAHA."

"Ah, it's okay, Mabok shouldn't be! Men don't get hurt easily.", said Key.

"Men? Key, he's only 12. Leave the kid alone." , said Mabel.

"Who's Mabok?", asked Boeun.

"Her brother.", Minho and Key said in unison and pointed at Mabel. Mabel nodded in agreement.

"Oh no, teacher's here.", said Mabel. Mabel sat up straight and remained quiet throughout the lesson.

_Drrrrring._ That was the school bell, and Boeun asked Mabel to accompany her to the toilet. Key offered to do so too, but Mabel brushed him off, for being a pervert, wanting to follow Boeun to the toilet. Boeun was washing her hands at the sink when she looked into the mirror she almost jumped out of her skin.

"OH my gosh! It's you. You scared me.", Boeun said without thinking.

"What? 'It's you '? How rude can a junior get?", complained Karin.

"Ah, I'm so sorry, sunbae.", Boeun apologized.

"Hey, call me 'unni' instead. 'sunbae' sounds too old.", Karin suggested.

"O-okay, unni…"

"Hey, don't be so tensed up. Why are you so scared? I don't bite! Haha.", laughed Karin. "Oh, right I forgot to ask for your name yesterday. I'm Choi Karin, and you are…?"

"I'm Chae Boeun."

"Ahh…anyway, I'm sure it won't be long before I see you again. You better not forget my name!", said Karin almost threateningly.

"Yes, sunbae.", Boeun replied mechanically. Karin advanced towards Boeun and stared really hard at her, and held up her hands. _Piak!_, Karin's hands were squeezing Boeun's cheeks, making her look like a stuffed goldfish.

"EH, I said to call me unni!", Karin shouted.

"U-unni.", Boeun said, with much difficulty.

"Eh? I can't hear you, louder!"

"UNNI!", Boeun shouted, though muffled.

"Hee.", smiled Karin as she let go of Boeun's cheeks. "Much better. Okay, class is starting soon. See you around!" Karin exited the restroom.

"Eurghh. Why does everybody like playing with my cheeks?", Boeun mumbled to herself rubbing her cheeks. Mabel exited the toilet cubicle and heard the whole commotion, if not witnessed it.

"Oh-my-gosh! You know KARIN? As in THE Karin?", Mabel exclaimed, shaking Boeun by her shoulders. "THE third-year Karin?"

Stunned, Boeun shrugged and recalled Mabel just came out from using the toilet and said, "Uh…Mabel? Hands. You haven't washed your hands."

"Oh, right. Sorry. Eh-he-he.", Mabel let go and washed her hands.


	6. THE Choi Karin

THE Choi Karin

Back in the classroom, Mabel kept bombarding Boeun with questions about Choi Karin.

"THE, Choi Karin? How?"

"What's up with the 'THE'? It's just Karin.", replies Boeun, not fully understanding why Mabel was overreacting.

"Why are you suddenly talking about Choi Karin?", Key asks.

"Because SHE knows her.", says Mabel pointing to Boeun.

"What?", says Key.

"Yeah, and they're really close."

"What 'close'? I only just met her yesterday.", says Boeun trying to defend herself.

"Well, from the way she was acting, you two were really close. What kind of stranger plays with another stranger's cheeks like that?"

"AGH. Why do you keep bombarding me with these annoying endless torrent of questions?", Boeun replies, unable to stay calm.

"Because! …", Mabel looks around and gestures for Boeun to come nearer. Boeun moves closer and Mabel whispers into her ear, "Because she's-"

"She's Lee Changsun's ex.", said a voice from behind Mabel. The class was previously in mayhem. But now it was dead-quiet with everyone frozen in their places, even the students playing in the corridors. They were staring at Boeun and her group of friends.

"Hey, Jiyeon. Not so loud!", says Mabel covering her mouth. "Ah-ha…Lee Changsun my distant COUSIN. Very, very…DISTANT cousin." Everyone unfroze and continued with their own business. Jiyeon rolled her eyes and looked outside the window beside her.

"Okay, so?", continues Boeun. "What's the big deal about this?"

"My Boeun, it's called school politics.", says Key. "By the way, Boeun wanna go shopping with me?"

"Shush, Key.", Mabel interrupted. "By the way, Jiyeon, how do you know who Lee Changsun's ex is? Only people from our middle school know."

"Not telling.", Jiyeon curtly says.

"Fine, be that way.", replies Mabel.

"Anyway, I don't really care. I don't even know this Lee Changsun.", says Boeun, exasperated. Key pats her head empathetically.

"He's our school council prez. How can you NOT know him?"

"That's not what I meant, you know that.", says Boeun. "Okay, you know what, end of story. Even if I gossip about people, I gossip about people I actually know or encountered personally. Teacher's here, go hit your books."

_Drrrrrrrring._, rings the school bell. The chairs screeched as the students stood up for recess. Mabel excitedly pulls out a Little Twin Stars plastic bag and takes out a Hello Kitty lunch box. Key and Minho slowly turned around trying to sneakily get out of the classroom.

"You do realize that if one of you ever steps out of this class room right now, you'll never ever get help with your homework again.", threatens Mabel. This threat however, stopped the boys in their tracks. And they groaned and turned around to face their sentence. Boeun stared at the pretty lunchbox and bag, completely enthralled by the cute sanrio characters. Mabel takes her lunchbox and wallet and says, "Okay, I'm ready. Let's leave."

Finding an empty table in the canteen was hard. Not just because there were many other students occupying them, but because the size of the canteen was colossal. After actually finding one, Mabel sat beside Boeun, opposite them was Minho and Key respectively.

"Hey, I wanna sit beside my Boeun.", pouts Key.

"She doesn't belong to you. And you're already sitting opposite her.", says Mabel.

"It's because I get to sit closer to her when I sit beside her." Mabel cringed in disgust hearing that. _Euagh, so corny._, played in Mabel's head. She opened her Hello Kitty lunchbox, and revealed a rich, red colour of kimchi fried rice. "Heh, look. And I even made the kimchi myself!"

"Whoa, it looks so good!", clapped Boeun in amazement. "Too bad I can't cook."

"Fret not, Mabel's cooking never turns out edible.", whispers Key.

"Whoa, nice conversation going on there, huh? A bit loud, huh?", Mabel says sarcastically, taking offense to Key's remark. "Since you sound so excited, you shall be the first to try. Hehe." Key's face turned blue with sickness. Mabel scoops out a large spoon of kimchi fried rice and gestures for Key to open his mouth for her to feed him. Minho excitedly gets up from his seat and clamps onto the spoon with his mouth. Surprised, Mabel lets go of the spoon.

"Whoa, Key you've got yourself one of the best friends in the world. To take on your punishment like that, you better keep him!", says Mabel jokingly. Meanwhile, Minho remains quiet, his head lowered. Everyone looks at him awaiting the feedback. Mabel looks at him, hopefully. He looks up, to face Mabel. Their faces were that of utter shock. Minho's face was completely flushed red. His eyes welling up with tears and he sniffled and he chewed the rice for the last time and swallowed it.

"WHA", he let out, looking towards the ceiling and then looking back at Mabel. "That was…by far, the most outstanding kimchi rice I've ever consumed."

"Really?", Mabel's eyes shining brightly. "Key, you're up next"

"Please, let me do the honors.", sniffles Minho, he scoops out a greater amount of kimchi fried rice, getting ready to feed Key. "Hey open your mouth, it's really very, very outstanding fried rice."

"Hey…Minho-ah, you're in denial. If it's bad just say it is!", Key says.

"O-PEN, your mouth.", as Minho draws the spoonful of rice closer to Key's face.

"MMNO.", says Key pursing his lips like his life depended on it. Minho steps on Key's foot causing him to open his mouth wide as he yelped in pain, "AHH!"

Minho grabbed the opportunity and stuffed the spoon in his mouth. Just five seconds later, Key's face flushes red just like Minho did. Key's face cringed trying to swallow it. After which he banged on the table asking for water.

"Uh, but I only have my water bottle.", Boeun says.

"I don't care. I need WATER.", Key trying to contain his obvious pain. Boeun handed him her water bottle and grabbed it gulped down the water. Boeun stared at him stunned, _is it that hot? Ah, and I haven't even got a sip of water yet. _Key emptied the bottle within seconds. Minho chuckled.

_Happy? You got your revenge on me._, Key glared at Minho. Minho pat him on the shoulder, trying to contain his laughter. _Eurgh, you're worse than a three-year-old._

"Hey, if it wasn't for me, you wouldn't have shared that indirect kiss with Boeun", Minho whispers into Key's ear after he cooled down. Key looks at the bottle in his hand and comes to a sudden realization.

"Thanks for the water just now, I was just so thirsty.", Key says, acting composed.

_Ehhhh, still trying to act cool after what just happened. HAHA._, thinks Boeun. "Ah no, no problem at all." She smiles.

"But, we even drank from the same bottle, does this mean that we shared – what people call – an indirect kiss?", Key continues on dreamily.

"Uhm, sorry to burst your bubble, but I didn't even get to drink from it yet.", Boeun says, trying to correct his thoughts. But Key did not hear a word she said.

"Boeun, you want some?", Mabel asks excitedly.

"Uh,hurhur… no thanks", laughs Boeun nervously. Mabel pouts dejectedly.

"Mabel, why don't you try your own masterpiece?", Key suggests looking as if eager to exact his revenge. Mabel sticks her tongue out at him.

"Just to let you know, I couldn't taste the chili or the spiciness whatsoever.", says Key, as a matter-of-factly. "It was pain! I tasted pain. And because of you I still feel the burning and painful senstation on my tongue!"

"Uh, Mabel, you didn't even taste the kimchi before frying it with rice?," asks Boeun.

"A good chef doesn't need to taste her food to know it's good.", she replies.

"Who do you think you are? DaeJangGeum ah?", Key says. Minho nods, agreeing while Boeun giggles. "That was just a drama! And even if it were possible, you should still have to learn how to cook edible food first before trying that out."

Mabel's face turned slightly red and looked away while being reprimanded by Key. But after he finished, she reverted to her old, playful self and stuck her tongue out at him. Making Key more agitated and Minho chuckle.

"Hey, you can go back to class first. I need to go to the water cooler to fill up my bottle.", says Boeun as she stands up.

"Okay", say Minho, Key and Mabel as Boeun makes her way out of the canteen into the classroom block.

Simultaneously, Karin walks out of the classroom, and hears someone calling her from behind.

"Nuna," it was Lee Changsun. Karin turns around.

"Orh, Changsun-ah. Long time no see. What is it?", she walks up to him. Jiyong runs out the classroom to chase after Karin, but stops in the classroom corridor after seeing Karin with Changsun exiting the corridors. Seunghyun follows after Jiyong and manages to catch Karin and Changsun leave. Seunghyun wraps his right arm around Jiyong's neck and turns to look at Jiyong, with a straight face.

"Let's talk at the roof.", says Changsun as they walk out of the corridors.

"Jealous?", smirks Seunghyun. Jiyong glares at him unhappily, and tries to unwrap Seunghyun's arm from his neck with great difficulty. Seunghyun being the stronger one, strengthened his grip, causing Jiyong to choke. Seunghyun laughs and finally releases his grip on him, having been entertained thoroughly.

Meanwhile, at the roof of the classroom block, Karin is facing the fence put up at the edges of the rooftop area. Admiring the panoramic view of the school campus, with her back facing Changsun, she breaks the silence and says seriously, "So, what was so important for you to look for me personally and even call me up to the rooftop to do so."

"Nuna…", Changsun says, taking steps closer to Karin.

"Ah, what fate of a beautiful maiden like me.", says Karin, dramatically. Resting the back of her hand on her forehead, like a damsel in distress. She turns around and faces Changsun, continuing in a playful manner, "To be called out to the rooftop during recess, when hungry souls are finally allowed to eat."

"Ack!", Changsun lets out, in pain after receiving a slap on the head from Karin.

"Hey, hurry up. I wasn't joking about being hungry you know. I haven't eaten ALL day", Karin getting serious. Changsun digs his hand into his pocket and pulls out his hand, revealing a chain with a metal tag on it for a pendant.

"Changsun-ah," Karin says.

A/N: omg. after about half a month i just realised i left my notes for the next chapter in here... gosh. i'm so sorry. haha.


	7. What Fate

What Fate

"Changsun-ah," Karin says, after seeing the pendant, with sad understanding. "Don't-"

"Nuna, it's been two years since we broke up. This is the only thing that prevents us from having a clean break up.", interrupts Changsun. "I want to move on. Doing this, we will finally be able to be normal friends, like you wanted after our break up."

"You can return me all the other things I gave you – except this.", says Karin. "I don't care what you do with it—throw it away even—just don't return it to me." Tears were welling up in her eyes, as Changsun stuffs the necklace in her hands and makes his way to the door. With his hand on the door knob, he hesitates.

_I'm so sorry, Nuna_, he says mentally, turning the door knob and making his way out. Karin standing where she was, frozen for a while after he left. She felt the metal pendant and read the engraving on it in her mind, _you'll forever be mine, as I am yours._ She blinks as two tears drip onto the pendant.

_Idiot, I wanted you to keep it to remind you of the pain you caused me._, says Karin, talking to the pendant. She dries her eyes and sniffles a bit. She stuffs the necklace into her pocket, and exits the rooftop.

_Hmm, where IS the water cooler? What a lousy school for branding such a grand name. Not even a water cooler in sight!_, Boeun thinks to herself. Boeun happened to be circling around the first floor of the classroom block looking for water coolers for the past five minutes. Suddenly she spots a water cooler at the corner of the building beside the entrance of the staircase and runs to it. After filling her bottle to the brim, she turns to run up the staircase but bumps into someone coming down the staircase.

"WHA! So sorry!", apologizes Boeun, like reflex. She looks up to see who she bumped into.

"That girl again!", says a familiar voice. Boeun jumps back in surprise.

"YOU?", she gasped.

"What do you mean by 'you'? I have a name okay, like other people do.", it was the 'victim', the stranger whose shoe she had stepped on that day.

"What, am I supposed to know your name?", retorts Boeun. "Don't be so full of yourself. As if you're so popular!" she sticks her tongue out at him. He looks at her, waiting for her to realize something.

"You…don't know me?", he says.

"Of course I do. You're the guy whose shoe I accidentally stepped on."

"And…?", he probes. Boeun gives him the 'And what?' face. "…you don't even know who your student council president is.", he says looking disappointed and shaking his head.

"So? It doesn't mean I have to know your name right?", Boeun says as-matter-of-factly. He heaved an exasperated sigh.

"Okay. Okay. Forget everything I just said. Delete it. I'm Lee Changsun. And remember that name."

"Why?", she says. Changsun stared at her in disbelief and dropped his head in defeat. Boeun sulks and says, "Ehhh, fine. Pshh, taking up my memory space for nothing…" Changsun looks up and glares at her.

"OKAY, FINE. I get it already. I've got to get going so, goodbye, student council president, Lee Changsun, sunbaenim. Happy?", she teases him on. Changsun lifts his head, bites his lower lip and holds his fist up, pretending to be angry on purpose. By then, Boeun is already running up the staircase. But she stops to looks back and sticks her tongue out at him again, "ngyehh."

"YAH!", he says, causing Boeun to jump and continue running up to class. "Haha, little brat. To think she was in the same school as me.", he laughs to himself. "Ugh.", he lets out, walking into another person.

"AGH!", says the student who bumped into Changsun, followed by loud thuds of books hitting the floor. Changsun apologized and bends down to help the student pick up his books, when he looks up and sees his classmate.

"Oh, Lee Jinki, it was you.", says Changsun, standing up, holding up the books to let Onew take them.

"For the 27th time, it's Onew.", Onew says, pushing up his thick-rimmed glasses and taking the books from Changsun.

"Well, then for the 27th time, stop staring into thick books and look where you're going.", Changsun says, resting his arm on Onew's shoulders. They climb up the staircase together, going back to class. "By the way, I know your eyesight is perfect, can you please stop wearing those ridiculously large glasses?", adds Changsun.

"It's fashionable.", says Onew.

"Whateverrrr.", says Changsun pushing Onew's head away. "It makes others, except you, look fashionable.", he mumbles.

"Whaaa, what a day.", says Boeun taking her seat.

"Why what happened? What could have happened in the past fifteen minutes you weren't here that makes it such a 'day'?", asks Mabel.

"Oh, I just happened to bump into someone I thought I'd never see for the rest of my life.", she replies.

"Ehhh, that's not possible," says Key. "because of our 'shrinking world'."

"Shh, Mr Choi is here.", says Mabel.

"Okay class, I'm telling you one week in advance, all of you have to form into groups of four. Only one group of five is allowed.", announces Mr Choi.

"What? Project work already?", groans a classmate.

"That's right, what we teachers all love, and what you don't. The aim of the project is let you students get to know each other better faster….", as he carries on.

"Hey Boeun-ah, I book you to be in my group.", whispers Key as he turns around.

"It's still the same thing anyway. Boeun wanna form a group with me, Key and Minho?", says Mabel.

"Yeah, sure!", says Boeun enthusiastically.

"You're supposed to hang out with each of your group-mates, learn what they like and what they don't and whatever else. Then, you have to write down in the form of a diary entry, what you have learnt about or from each other.", says Mr Choi. "Do it properly, I just might ask you to give a presentation on what you've done and learnt together. Discuss what you all are going to do. That's it, for homeroom." He exits the class and the class builds up in noise.

"WHOOHOO! Okay! It's decided, let's go over to Mabel's house to help her cook!", says Key after jumping out of his seat.

"Hey, how can you just decide on things like that?", Mabel says.

"Actually, I agree with what Key says. Not only does he get to see Mabok, we all get to spend time to help you hone your cooking skills.", steps in Minho.

"YEAHH! I AGREE! I wanna see Mabel's home.", says Boeun, excitedly.

"Ahh, my Boeun-ah, you're that excited to see her house? Okay then, after we go to her house, you can come over to mine.", Key says happily. "I'll give you a tour of my humble home where I grew up. Hehe." After saying which, he wraps his arms around Boeun's neck to hug her.

"Humble home, indeed.", says Mabel, nodding her head. She gets up and unwraps Key off Boeun. "Why don't you tell him to stop? He'll keep sticking onto you like an octopus." Key still hugging her, starts poking her cheeks. Minho and Mabel both sigh and shake their heads in surrender.

"It's okay, I have another octopus waiting for me at home.", she answers.

A/N: comments/reviews please! :)


End file.
